Educational Offerings

Lectures

The Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park. The nonprofit educational partner of the park offers a full schedule of lectures, classes, and hikes. Class topics include basket making, painting, and photography, while field trips include workshops on cultural history, natural science, and how to survive in the desert. 74485 National Park Dr., Twentynine Palms, California, 92277. 760/367–5535; www.joshuatree.org.

Stargazing. At Joshua Tree National Park, designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2017, you can tour the Milky Way on summer evenings using binoculars. Rangers also offer programs on some evenings when the moon isn't visible. Browse the schedule online. The park also partners with Sky's the Limit Observatory on the Utah Trail in Twentynine Palms (www.skysthelimit29.org); check the website for current offerings. Cottonwood Campground Amphitheater, Oasis Visitor Center, Sky's the Limit Observatory, Joshua Tree National Park, California, 92277. www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/calendar.htm.

Ranger Programs

Rangers offer a full schedule of programs, hikes, and brief Ranger Chats to help you explore the park fall through spring; the schedule is limited in the hot summer months. Refer to the park calendar online for specific schedules, as times and destinations vary.

Evening Programs. Rangers present 45-minute-long programs, often on Friday or Saturday evening, at Cottonwood Amphitheater, Indian Cove Amphitheater, and Jumbo Rocks Campground. Topics range from natural history to local lore. As times and days for such offerings aren't fixed, it's best to check the online schedule. Joshua Tree National Park, California. Free. Fri. and/or Sat. at 7 or 8:30 pm, depending on staffing.

Keys Ranch Tour. A guide takes you through the former home of a family that homesteaded here for 60 years. In addition to the ranch, a workshop, store, and schoolhouse are still standing, and the grounds are strewn with vehicles and mining equipment. The 90-minute tour, which begins at the Keys Ranch gate, tells the history of the family that built the ranch. Tickets are $10, and reservations are required. Keys Ranch gate , Joshua Tree National Park, California, 92277. 760/367–5522; www.nps.gov/jotr.